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Woodloch Pines Resort – Poconos Family Resorts

May 4, 2018 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Our family stayed at the Woodloch Pines Resort! Learn more about our family fun time at one of the best all-inclusive Poconos Family Resorts.

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Woodloch Resort and the Poconos Tourism Board.

We first got a taste of all-inclusive resorts when we took a Disney Cruise last year. It was wonderful. We didn’t have to worry about anything and that in and of itself was amazing. We personally believe it’s our preferred way of travel. So when we were invited to check out the Poconos Resorts all-inclusive Woodloch Pines Resort, we couldn’t wait. We were so excited a great family-friendly resort was essentially right in our backyard.

We arrived at Woodloch Resort and immediately noticed how large it is. We learned that the entire property over 1,000 acres. We found the entrance to Woodloch Pines resort, the part that we would be staying at and checked in and got our room information. They handed us a large paper with all the days activities and let us know a new sheet would be available every morning. There were endless activities to do, but first we wanted to check into our room.

Inside Our Room at Woodloch Pines Resort

We were graciously staying in a one-bedroom Edgewater Suites room in their Mount Laurel building. Each room has a kitchenette, a bathroom with double sinks, a living room with pullout sofa bed, and a bedroom with 2 queen beds. Each suite also has a private balcony and washer and dryer in the unit.

The kitchen contained silverware and dishes, as well as a microwave, stove, pots and pans, a large refrigerator, dish washer, and coffeemaker. There is also a table and chairs, as well as bar stools. This particular building also connects to the indoor pool area, so there’s no having to walk outdoors to get to the pool (which is awesome in winter).

Check out our Woodloch Pines Suite room tour video!

Food at Woodloch Resort

Okay, I’ll fully admit one of our favorite things about all inclusive resorts is the food. You can (within limitations) get almost anything and the Woodloch resort did not disappoint. The kids thought it was amazing they could get hot chocolate at every breakfast and the options for all three meals didn’t disappoint.

For lunch and dinner, a small menu was available on the tables that listen the options and then the sides were automatic. Everything was delicious. From fish to prime rib, nachos to a full buffet on Sunday lunch, there was something for everyone. They did have traditional options for kid’s like chicken tenders, but we opted to get them regular meals to split like we do at a normal restaurant. Dinners started with soup or salad and a bread plate also.

And we can’t forget dessert! The girls loved ordering from about a dozen ice cream options every evening of our stay and Andrew and I enjoyed brownies, pies, and more.

As far as breakfast, there was a variety of options every morning. They started you off with an insanely delicious crumb cake (which you can order to take home!) and fresh fruit. Next, they have a special of the day – one day was scandinavian pancakes and yum! You also could order any variety of eggs and meats like bacon and sausage. They truly had something for everyone.

Family-friendly Activities at Woodloch Resort

If you’re coming to have a getaway, you can certainly do that at Woodloch, as they have a top notch spa; however, we were here as a family. Often, we are nervous about places that claim family friendly, because our youngest is in a stage where she’s too little for some things, but she’s realizing that her big sister is doing more and she wants involved too. Luckily, Woodloch Resort DID NOT disappoint. The shear amount of activities there are for families is bananas. There is something there for the smallest of small to well into teenage years and beyond. They really have taken the all-inclusive thing very seriously.

Some of our favorite things for our family were:

Indoor Pool and Slides
Indoor Playground
Snowtubing

Arts and Crafts Room
Nature Trail
Magician Show (there are a variety of nightly shows)

Go Carts
Petting Zoo
Character encounters (before every meal)
and so much more!

There are literally dozens of activities for everyone and there’s so many that we didn’t even get to do half of the things that we circled that we wanted to do while there. That just means we have to come back!

Woodloch Resort, and specifically Woodloch Pines Resort, friendlessness and welcoming atmosphere had completely in love at first visit. There are a variety of rooms and meal plans available to fit into everyone’s budget and even homes to rent out if you want to bring the extended family for a reunion. We definitely thinks it’s a top notch all-inclusive resort that everyone would feel right at home when visiting!

Hersheypark Just Got a Little Sweeter – Introducing BBLz ™

August 2, 2017 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pepsi and Hersheypark. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sweet Memories

Growing up, I only got to go to Hersheypark once. It was our 8th grade field trip. Andrew says he only remembers going two, maybe three times. It was always weird to me that neither of us have been more often, because we both have such fond memories of our minimal experiences. Hersheypark is such a sweet place (pun intended), that I want to make sure that our girls experience it often. Last year, when we went, the baby was really too little to do anything, but Serenity had so much fun that she has brought it up dozens of times since last year, always wondering when we are going back again. It’s a much larger park than we were used too, so even with two days last year, we were all exhausted. We needed a re-do.

Planning the Sweetest Day Trip

Andrew’s work schedule has left minimal summer fun time available so far this year, but when we had a mid-week break, we went for it and drove to Hersheypark. We didn’t tell the kids until we were getting into the car and they were so excited. The baby still doesn’t really know what was going on, but her sister’s excitement got her really happy. I love seeing them enjoy thing together and I knew this year would be such a treat.

Tip: Before we headed out, I downloaded the Hersheypark app onto my phone. It makes finding rides that the girls can do a breeze and I love seeing if there’s wait time before we head in any one direction.

The night before we left, we planned out our trip and decided on what we absolutely must have the girls do together. We picked the perfect day. It was literally gorgeous weather and we were so excited to do the water and dry rides together. Serenity grew a few inches over the past year, so she was able to ride the SooperDooperLooper ride, her first looped roller coaster, and her reaction didn’t disappoint. We are so incredibly blessed to be able to make these memories together as a family.

Hersheypark Just Got a Little Sweeter – Introducing BBLz™

We always like to splurge a bit when we take trips like this. For example, the girls always get to pick some type of treat that they don’t regularly get to have at home- they usually pick cotton candy. This year, before we even went, I knew what our special treat would be. Pepsi, a proud sponsor of Hersheypark, introduced a new installment this year – BBLz™ (pronounced “bubbles”). You can easily find it directly across from Hersheypark’s newest ride – Hershey Triple Tower.

Bubble Makers (soft drink mixologists) create a unique one-of-a-kind beverage experience unlike anything you’ve tried before. Unique flavors and ingredients, including foam and candy, arend whimsically blended together for a fun treat! Each person in our family got their own BBLz™ creation.

We thought they were such a fun and unique way to combine the Pepsi brand with the sweetness of Hershey. We definitely think everyone should have the unique experience of having their own BBLz™ too!

Even though BBLz™ are only in one part of the park, you can still enjoy delicious, refreshing Pepsi beverages throughout the park! Try to check out the PepsiSpire digital beverage fountains where you can customize your own flavor creation with hundreds of different options! Of course, there’s Aquafina, too, which is especially refreshing on those extra hot days!

We can’t wait to hear what you do at your next Hersheypark vacation and what you think of the BBLz™ beverage experience.

Poconos Are For Kids Too

July 17, 2017 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Poconos Tourism board. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Why did no one one tell me I was missing out on the Poconos as a family friendly destination?

Watch our short recap video:

Truth moment. We’ve been to the Poconos only once and it was before we had kids. Andrew and I joined my dad and stepmom there one day they were there and went hiking at Bushkill Falls. It was so fun, but we’ve never been back. I’ve never really thought anything of it either. Recently, we decided to make the trek back. Unfortunately, Andrew couldn’t get off work, so it was just going to be the girls and I. After telling my mom and sister we were going, I got a bit nervous. Both of them immediately questioned why I would go there with the girls, wasn’t it a romantic getaway destination.

Truth. It’s not.

Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely has the ability to be a romantic getaway destination and full of serene moments that can take your breath away. However, it’s always the most amazing time for a family, even one with smaller children.

The Poconos are for kids too!

We started off our trip on Lake Wallenpaupack. We met up with Poconos Action Sports and took a boat ride out on the Lake and learned so much about the area. Poconos Action Sports also offers a host of other fun activities like jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, and more.`

Resort Fun.

After we had fun there, we headed to Silver Birches Resort. It’s a super quaint resort with a variety of rooms, including cottages. It was recently remodeled after new owners took over. It sits right on the lake and it’s stunning. Poconos Action Sports actually comes out and hosts sporting activities like canoeing and kayaking at Silver Birches so you don’t have to go anywhere. There’s a great restaurant just up the hill from the main office where you can grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Tip: Get the breakfast burrito or the pizza! Other fun things at Silver Birches is the champagne toast and fire pits overnight and they have a playground for the kids.

After our stay at Silver Birches, we headed down the road to check out Skytop Lodge. This historic resort features 5,500 acres so there is literally enough activities available to keep the entire family busy. They have a full day of kid’s activities planned (like reptile and painting classes), there’s an arcade, indoor and outdoor pools, inflatable lake activities, and more. A full golf course, tons of hiking trails, and more round out this resort.

One of our favorite things was went exploring the land and came across waterfalls right down from our room on the property. There’s a small hiking trail, a bench, and plenty of ability to have fun right there.

Another favorite was taking part in one of the moderate hiking trails. There was so much amazing beauty to be found on a short one hour hike. The girls loved seeing salamanders and I loved the scenery and calmness while we were out.

We absolutely loved our experience in the Poconos. Our girls had an amazing time and I truly learned the the Poconos are for kids too! We’re already figuring out how to make our way back there sooner than later.

Dorney Park Wildwater Kingdom

June 29, 2017 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Check out the awesomeness of Dorney Park Wildwater Kingdom!

Growing up water parks were my jam (can I still say Jam? Is that hip or nah?) Anywho…I loved them. It was always a special treat to go to a water park when we were little. I waited what seemed like forever until I was tall enough that I could get on the water log rides. Imagine my excitement when I learned Serenity loved the water too. I knew she was going to be up for any water adventures in our future. Luckily, she is and her sister has been too, though she’s still too little for most things.

SEE OUR SHORT VIDEO FROM WILDWATER KINGDOM HERE:

We were recently hosted and had the chance to check out Dorney Park Wildwater Kingdom and the girls had so much fun. It was a bit chilly since it was early June, but after the girls warmed up to the fun a bit, they had a blast. The great thing about Wildwater Kingdom at Dorney Park is that there are so many things for kids to do beyond just rides, especially for little ones, like our Storm. They have designated kid areas all over Wildwater Kingdom that have sprinklers, waterspouts, smaller slides, and even a submarine.

Of course, if you have older ones, there’s plenty for them to do as well, including almost a dozen rides for those over 48″.

The girls (and their friend) loved the water spouts and trying to hide them or sit on top of them. Another fun spot was the wave pool. It’s always funny to me to see how much my girls love the waves. To me, it seems, at that age, it might be a bit scary but they love it. Next up in the kiddie area, was this insanely fun submarine where kids can go down a host of different slides and actually walk around inside the submarine.

Lastly, is this gated (which I love as a parent) area called Water Works. The girls ran around dumping and pouring water, going down slides, and more. At the end of the day, they loved relaxing in the sun (Serenity says “sunbathing”) until they dried off.

They were all sad to go home, but we promised that we would be back around soon!

As always, Dorney Park pleases the entire family. Head to DorneyPark.com for ticket purchases.

Want to know more about Dorney Park? See our adventures of past trips here.

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY CEDAR FAIR ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY IN CONJUNCTION WITH BLOG MEETS BRAND, AND I HAVE BEEN COMPENSATED FOR MY PARTICIPATION. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Dorney Park – Our First Park Friend Experience

June 14, 2017 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Dorney Park holds a special place in our hearts. It was the first place that we went that had something for everyone and catered to our family’s needs. It’s our youngest child’s first amusement park trip and now, with this recent hosted trip, holds the place as the first place we took a friend with us.

See our fun trip in the video:

I remember growing up that I always wanted to take a friend places with us. I remember my sister being able to do it, but rarely remember being able to do it myself. There’s something so magically special about being able to experience fun with a friend. Andrew and I both knew that it was something that we wanted our girls to experience. Thankfully, we were able to sooner than later and it was everything I hoped for in a friend trip.

Side note: This trip to Dorney Park was also the baby’s first time riding a roller coaster! She’s hooked!

We allowed Serenity to take one of her best friends to the park and the joy of this first experience was magical. The joy on their faces throughout the day was something you hope stays everyday of their lives. They rode as many rides as they could across Planet Snoopy. One reason that Dorney Park is a huge hit is that kids are able to ride everything in this one area. It’s amazing as a parent because it reduces the heartache of having to tell them no to certain rides as we pass them by as we are walking.

Another reason we love Planet Snoopy is that the lines are short because it’s catered specifically to smaller kids, so there’s no reason for huge lines. Bigger kids are in other areas of the park riding bigger coasters and rides. There’s so many things packed into this area that you can quite easily spend the entire day just here. Between the rides and the shows, it’s endless entertainment.

D E A L A L E R T

June is the perfect month to head to Dorney Park. They’ve teamed up with Alex’s Lemonade Stand to host Lemonade Days. Every online ticket purchase in June is kid’s pricing. That means you pay $39 per ticket – a $19 savings from buying tickets at the gate – PLUS $1 of every online sale goes to Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Everyone wins!

Bonus Tip: Purchase the All Day Meal Plan online. It’s $31.99 per person and you can get a meal every 90 minutes. If you plan to eat inside the park, it’s really your best value. You can also save by grabbing the souvenir drinking cup! It’s just $10.99. Don’t forget, all tickets include access to Wildwater Kingdom! Rides + water = endless fun!

Head to DorneyPark.com to plan your trip today!

Upcoming trips for you to attend at Dorney Park:

Father’s Day Beef & Beer – June 18
Independence Day Fireworks – July 4
Christmas in July Breakfast with Santa – July 25
Food Truck Rally – August 26-27

What are you most looking forward too at Dorney Park? Leave a comment and tell us! Hope to see you there soon!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand, and I have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own.

The Sweetest Family Vacation

June 9, 2016 by Larisha Campbell 33 Comments

As parents for almost 4 years now, Andrew and I have had moments where we question if we are really doing this parenting thing right. We’ve been hard on ourselves more often than not. Yet, as we see our girls growing into beautiful, thriving, older children, we know we are doing it right by them. After having our second daughter, we have definitely relaxed and tried not to stress about so much being “perfect”. With Skibbles, we both helicoptered over her making sure that she didn’t have screen time, didn’t eat anything that wasn’t healthy, and so much more. What ended up happening though is that we were both constantly stressed about messing something up. Then…. second child, and life kicks in and you realize that most things are just not that serious. The other thing we realized was that chocolate could cure almost every meltdown. And it didn’t even have to be a lot, a small Hershey’s Kiss solves most of life’s problems for a toddler.

We were recently invited to Hersheypark on behalf of Pepsi and after our weekend getaway I’m convinced that chocolate can solve all of life’s issues for everyone. A summit in Hershey, PA, with all the world leaders, would solve every world problem, I’m absolutely sure of it. Our whole family was so happy the entire time and we didn’t have one huge meltdown from Skibbles. I’m pretty sure the town of Hershey wafts chocolate in the air. The residents there have to be the happiest people in the world.

As soon as we hit the town, I got instantly happy. The light poles were shaped like Hershey Kisses, so many places named cocoa this or that, how could we not be happy!? I wanted to make the most of our weekend trip, so I had our full itinerary planned once we got there.

Saturday
- Chocolate World and go on FREE Chocolate Factory Tour
- Hersheypark to do some rides and visit ZooAmerica (Free admission when purchasing Hersheypark tickets)
- Check into Hershey Lodge (resort)
- Have dinner
Sunday
- Breakfast
- Head to Hersheypark
  - *Download the Hersheypark App before heading there
- Visit the Boardwalk (water park into Hersheypark)
- Check out Pepsi Oasis
- Hershey Waterworks (inside Hershey Lodge)
- Dinner
Monday
- Check out of Hershey Lodge
- Visit Hershey Gardens (free admission when staying at Hershey Lodge)
- Visit The Hershey Museum (free admission when staying at Hershey Lodge)

Watch our 3 videos over the course of our stay. (Scroll down to read more)

Hershey Lodge and Waterworks

Hersheypark, ZooAmerica, and Chocolate World

Hershey Gardens

We arrived early in the day on Saturday and headed straight to Chocolate World. Both of the girls absolutely loved the Chocolate Factory Tour, which is completely free. We ended up doing it both Saturday and Sunday because Skibbles asked to do it again. While at Chocolate World you can also upgrade to paying activities, like making your own chocolate bars.

Once we were done, we walked the short distance to the Hersheypark entrance. I had downloaded the Hersheypark app, so we knew exactly where to go for the rides that Skibbles and the baby could go on based on their height. The app even tells you how long the wait time is for rides. It was perfect for helping our family. We made our way to ZooAmerica first. It was so hot, we stopped and grabbed a Pepsi souvenir cup that costs just $.99 to refill anytime all season long or free water refills. It was the best investment we made. I kid you not we refilled that bottle at least 30 times over two days.

ZooAmerica was so much fun, but Skibbles was begging for rides. Hersheypark has been by far our best family park experience thus far. Skibbles was able to ride a pretty big roller coaster and she was so thrilled we rode it three times in a row. I was also excited about how many things the baby could ride with us helping her. On Sunday, in addition to the rides, we fed ducks, and went to the Boardwalk, the waterpark area of Hersheypark. Since the baby’s leg is broken, we decided not to do much there, but we did let Skibbles run around for a bit in the splashpad area. We were also excited to find the new PepsiMoji statues and check out Pepsi Oasis. The PepsiMoji statues are Pepsi’s way of bringing the emoji craze to real life. You can check out more or share your own with #SayItWithPepsi

Inside the Pepsi Oasis is the new Pepsi Spire machine, an innovative digital beverage fountain that allows you to completely customize you favorite Pepsi beverages. Skibbles thought it was so fun that she could pick and choose flavors to make her drink taste better. She chose Pink Lemonade with Strawberry and Grape. I’ll admit it was actually really good. I tried Sierra Mist with Raspberry and YUM! So, so good. There’s other flavors like vanilla, lemon, cherry, and more also. It’s all about having fun and getting inspired surprises.

The accommodations at Hershey Lodge were phenomenal. There was so much to do and there’s no way we came close to doing even most of it. Kids get their own check-in and lanyard with chocolate, coloring page and crayons. We were given a list of all the kid’s activities to do at the resort like free craft time or up close with some animals brought over from ZooAmerica. It was also the opening weekend of Hershey Waterworks, the indoor water area at Hershey Lodge. When you stay at Hershey Lodge you are given complimentary passes to The Hershey Museum and Hershey Gardens, and there is also free mini golf on location. There is also a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes back and forth to Hersheypark. Best of all, if you show your resort key, you get into Hersheypark an hour early!

The food. Oh, the food. Hershey Dining was divine. Again, it’s something just about the abundance of chocolate that makes you enjoy everything more. Hershey Lodge has an abundance of restaurants on location. While there, we chose to dine at The Bear’s Den and Hershey Grill for dinner and we went to Libbie Leibericher’s and Cocoa Beanery for breakfast. There were also a ton of locations to eat around the immediate area as well. At Hersheypark we also had the most amazing Reese’s funnel cake and rainbow Dippin’ Dots that tasted like sherbet. I had never seen before but at Dippin’ Dots you could even make a float with your choice of Pepsi beverage. I thought that was neat! At the end of every meal you get Hershey Kisses instead of mints too! Naturally, Skibbles loved that.

Overall, we had an amazing experience and we can’t wait to go back. There were so many things that we weren’t able to do just because time ran out. We highly recommend staying at a Hershey resort and experiencing the whole chocolate experience.

We even decided to start a family tradition where we will purchase a mug every time we go somewhere. It was actually hard to choose just one, but this is the one we ended up going with! Do you have a tradition of something to purchase when you go somewhere?

****GIVEAWAY****

Leave a comment below letting me know where you would head to first once you arrive in Hershey, PA. One lucky commenter will receive 4 passes to Hersheypark. *Must be 18 years old to enter. Giveaway will run from 6/9 /16 to 6/16/16 at 11:59pm EST. No purchase necessary. Giveaway winner will be chosen by random.org based on the number of comments entered.

Dorney Park First Timer

May 12, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Close your eyes. Think back to those times as a child when you were able to go to the amusement park. If you were anything like Andrew and I, it didn’t happen often – we were lucky if it occurred once a year. Now, think about the feeling you had when you got onto that first roller coaster or first ride every time. There was something magical about the feeling that you got. Excitement. A little nauseousness. Fast pounding heart. Cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It’s something, as a child, that we yearned for all the time.

Now as an adult, I yearn for being able to experience it from my child’s viewpoint. Watching their excitement is a remarkable gift that we’ve been given as parents. We were recently invited to Dorney Park and I couldn’t wait to get there to get on rides with Skibbles, our toddler. I was also excited about taking our 11 month old daughter because it would be the first chance that she’s ever had to ride on any rides.

As soon as we got inside the park, we were greeted by Charlie Brown himself. Skibbles has never met Charlie Brown, so this first time experience was so much fun for her. We had taken the opportunity to check out the map and website for Dorney Park beforehand, so we knew right away that we wanted to head to Planet Snoopy, a theme park just for kids! It has super fun rides, including a kid sized roller coaster that Skibbles just adored. There’s also live shows and the chance to meet with PEANUTS characters throughout the day. We spent most of our day in this area of the park. Andrew has been to Dorney Park once before as a teenager, but for the rest of our family it was our first time, and I have to say, it has been our best park experience so far. Everyone was so friendly and there was so many attractions for us to enjoy, even as a family together.

I had to laugh though at a ride called the Monster (Skibbles called it an octopus) that we just HAD to ride twice. It was the only ride she asked to ride more than once and she even told me that it tickled her belly! It gave me that sinking belly feeling, so I know that’s what she meant! What I loved though more than anything else during the day, was taking the baby on the Zephyr, a scenic ride aboard a miniature train. It was her first ride and her smile made the whole day an incredibly memorable experience. We also got to learn so many cool facts about the early days of the park’s opening and history throughout the last 150 years!

The girls quickly fell asleep once we got into the car, but as soon as Skibbles woke up, she couldn’t stop talking about it. We can’t wait to go back soon to check out Wildwater Kingdom, the water park side of the area.

Check out our fun video to see the great time we had!

You can head to Dorney Park now for their “Battle of the Bands” event and check out the event calendar to see what else is coming up soon! Grab your Dorney Park tickets today and meet us there soon!!